Walmart Issues Apology Amid Backlash Over Juneteenth Ice Cream

Walmart found themselves in hot water after images circulated online of the company selling Juneteenth themed ice cream. Now, the company is responding to the backlash.

By Daisy Maldonado May 24, 2022 10:56 PMTags
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There's plenty of screaming over this ice cream. 

Walmart's Great Value line recently released a Juneteenth-themed ice cream, which hasn't sat well with consumers. The product, branded as "Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream," was decorated with the Pan-African colors and described on the label as a swirled red velvet and cheesecake. The frozen desert's label read, "Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope."

Following backlash online—with one twitter user saying, "Nobody asked for some Juneteenth ice cream. Not one person."—the retail store released a statement to E! News apologizing for the sweet treat. (After all, as one user slammed, this is "why it's important to hire diverse perspectives.")

"Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence," Walmart said. "However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers and we sincerely apologize. We are reviewing our assortment and will remove items as appropriate." 

Amid the criticism, some are using the viral moment to encourage shoppers to purchase from Black-owned companies instead.

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"In all seriousness...If you have seen the Juneteenth Ice Cream from Walmart, go ahead and grab some Creamalicious Red Velvet Cheesecake instead!" one tweet read. "Walmart could have used this opportunity to highlight this brand instead of making a cheap copycat for OUR Independence Day."

As of last year, President Joe Biden signed a bill recognizing Juneteenth, or June 19, as a federal holiday. Juneteenth honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. 

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

"By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history," Biden said in 2021, "and celebrate progress and grapple with the distance we've come [and] the distance we have to travel."

"The truth is it's simply not enough just to commemorate Juneteenth," he continued. "After all, the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans didn't mark the end of America's work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we have to continue toward that progress because we've not gotten there yet."

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